It’s been a while since Dennis Crandall’s sophomore biology class at Westwood High School in Mesa. But, he distinctively recalls Mr. Rockey, the student teacher with a thick, brown beard who used words like “nucleus” and “endoplasmic reticulum.”

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“I remember thinking, ‘This stuff is cool. I want to know more,’” said the orthopedic surgeon who founded Sonoran Spine Center in Arizona. “I was amazed at muscle function, how the heart muscle never tired and kept contracting throughout life, and how nerves controlled muscles and other functions located a distance away.”

Decades later, that passion remains strong. Because Crandall believes physicians should never stop asking questions, he founded the Sonoran Research and Educational Foundation in 2000. Its research is used to treat spinal disease, back pain and neck pain.

“In 2012, our most productive year ever, I was the lead or co-author on 34 original research papers on different spinal disorders,” he said. “I am currently the principal investigation for a multi-center FDA trial that studies the safety of a new fusion technique.”

Especially gratifying for Crandall is the time he spends working with next-generation physicians. “On office days, I have a teaching conference with the residents before we see patients from 8:30 to 1,” he said. “After office, we squeeze in a quick research meeting over a slice of pizza and head to surgery, which starts at 1:30 and ends around 5 or 6. After surgery, the next day is planned with the orthopedic residents so they know what to read about for the next few hours.”

But Crandall’s influence extends far beyond Arizona. “My favorite international experiences involved teaching a group of Egyptian surgeons in Cairo who had very limited access to technology, a similar group from Santiago, Chile, and doing actual scoliosis surgery at a university hospital in Madrid with a group of 10 Spanish surgeons wanting to learn the latest deformity techniques.”

Crandall also is the spine surgeon for the Phoenix Suns, Arizona Cardinals and Arizona State University Sun Devils, his alma mater.

In addition, he contributes to the Children’s Rehabilitative Services Scoliosis Clinic, which provides services to indigent children in Arizona. That led the inquisitive surgeon to ask more questions.

“I wondered if their spinal deformity plus their socioeconomic status would limit what they could achieve in the world,” he said. After some thought and research, Crandall created a scholarship fund at ASU, University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University for students who have undergone surgery for spinal deformity.

Between the scholarships, teaching, research and office hours, Crandall performs surgeries that few others would dare to tackle. He often sees patients who have had no success with other doctors or have been told that there’s nothing that can be done.

And he wouldn’t have it any other way. “I love being a doctor and would rather be in the operating room than on the golf course, he said. “And, I love to golf.”

As a teenager sitting in biology class, Crandall thought if he learned big terms he would surely be impressive. “Now, I see that my patients really don’t care about big words,” he said. “They just want a doctor who will listen to their concerns, plainly tell them what is wrong, explore what options might exist and what each option means. That is a foundational principle I teach the students and residents and I use myself.”

Crandall says his best words now are “hope” and “reassurance,” while the best words from his patients are “thank you.”

Title/companies: Founder and medical director, The Sonoran Spine Center; president, Sonoran Spine Research and Education Foundation; chief of spine surgery, Banner Good Samaritan Orthopedic Surgery Residency Program; team spine surgeon, Phoenix Suns, Arizona Cardinals, ASU Sun DevilsEducation: Bachelor of Science in microbiology, summa cum laude, Arizona State University; graduate studies, ASU and Johns Hopkins University; M.D., St. Louis University Medical SchoolHometown: Mesa, sixth-generation East Valley ArizonanResidence: MesaFamily: Wife, Laura; sons Dennis Jr. (Morgan Stanley investment bank), Brett (Cerbrus private equity), Mark (Duff and Phelps financial services), Kurt (senior at Mesa Mountain View High School); daughter Rachel (junior at Mountain View); three adorable grandchildren with another on the wayPets: None since Lizzy, our miniature German schnauzer who died a year agoWhat inspired you to become a doctor?It started with Mr. Rokey, student teacher for my high school biology class. His genuine interest in biologic systems uncovered my own interest in the physiologic processes of living organisms. From there, I volunteered at Mesa Lutheran and Scottsdale Osborn emergency rooms. I remember nearly fainting while watching an orthopedic surgeon straighten a broken arm. I was determined to get past that, and ended up an orthopedic surgeon myself.What path did you take to your current position?During medical school, I spent a year doing research on bone-forming tumors supported by the National Cancer Institute. I was convinced I wanted to become an orthopedic oncologist, and was accepted into orthopedic surgery residency at St. Louis University. My path took a 90 degree turn when I rotated on the pediatric spine service, and saw how amazingly creative spinal deformity correction could be. After residency, I spent a year doing complex spine surgery at Maryland Shock Trauma Center, spine research, and teaching orthopedic residents to do spine surgery. My Arizona roots and family ties pulled me back to a private practice job with a large orthopedic group in Phoenix. In 1998, I left the group to start Sonoran Spine Center, gaining a business background at Johns Hopkins University. Shortly after the spine center launch, I started our research foundation. Around the time of the foundation launch, I invented a spinal deformity correction system that I developed with Medtronic Inc.Most rewarding experience on this job?Establishing the Sonoran Research and Educational Foundation has provided a way for us to do research, support advocacy, support patient education, and fund scholarships in a way that would not have been possible without it. But there still is something more rewarding. After surgery to correct a major spinal deformity in a teenager, I never tire of walking into the waiting room, and seeing the faces of the parents. Almost without exception, at least one parent breaks into tears when I tell them that everything went beautifully.

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